


Four Days and Three Nights in Gibraltar

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: F/M, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:16:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23393887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Robin and Matthew Take a Cheap Package Tour(because we are stuck at home and need a vacation!)
Relationships: Matthew Cunliffe/Robin Ellacott, Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22
Collections: The Cormoran Strike Fest of Firsts





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> for the Fest of Firsts using the prompts Kiss and Date  
> (although it's a stretch)

The airplane descent was spectacular, with the ocean surrounding the airfield on two sides and Spain across an arbitrary line on another.When Matthew wanted a break from the gray and rainy London weather, she’d first thought that Spain was the best bargain but then Robin had found a really nice deal on a timeshare flat in Gibraltar.The only drawback was that it was a two bedroom, which meant that Matthew’s best friend Tom and his girlfriend Sarah were coming with them to share expenses.She didn’t like Sarah one bit, with her loud laugh and sly insinuations about Robin’s and Matt’s sex life.Tom was ok, just boring, but she was starting to realize he drank a little too much.Well, it was only four days and three nights and surely she and Matt would have plenty of time to themselves, right?

Gibraltar was small and scenic, sunny and quaint.The harbor had plenty of British Navy vessels and some cargo barges but there were quite a few pleasure craft as well.She had hoped they might do a whale watching trip but Tom said he got seasick so that was out.The harbor had a lot of restaurants and small cafes, though, so they had eaten dinner at one of them the evening they arrived, watching the boats and tourists and sailors come and go.Then they’d found a sports bar where the men could watch the rugby match and have beers.Sarah spent time flirting with the sailors patronizing the establishment.Tom was already pretty drunk so Robin doubted he noticed.Besides he and Matt were absorbed in the rugby match.Robin looked around, wondering if she could suggest they go back to their flat. 

There was a group of British women around her own age in the bar, also flirting with the sailors and the locals, of whom there were quite a few.At least many of the patrons here didn’t look like tourists—they were too tanned and their shorts and t-shirts didn’t look like newly purchased High Street items, bought for the trip.The clothes looked serviceable and lived in, like these people had been out in the fishing boats or strolled the beaches or walked to a bakery each morning in these items.The prettiest of the group of female tourists was talking to a large man in khaki shorts and a white t-shirt that stretched over broad shoulders and a muscular back.He was very tan, with messy dark curls that needed a trim, sandals and awoven cord bracelet studded with turquoise beads wrapped around one thick wrist.He looked like a beach bum—at least Robin couldn’t imagine him sitting behind a desk like Matt and Tom or herself, for that matter.When he threw back his head and laughed at something the pretty girl had said, she decided he looked like a pirate with that five o’clock shadow and something reckless in his eye. 

Sarah noticed the direction of Robin’s gaze, nudged her and said, “What a hunk.That would make for a fun roll in the hay, right?”Robin smiled mirthlessly at her and said mildly, “He’s got to be local, right?”Sarah nodded and said, “I’m going to make a play.”And she walked right up the bar where the big man was leaning and asked him to buy her a drink.Robin watched as the big man turned from his companion and looked Sarah up and down, not rudely but as if he’d noticed an unusual species of bird fly by and wanted to commit their characteristics to memory.The man turned to the bartender and said, “The lady wants a drink.”Then he walked out of the bar, leaving both women behind. 

Sarah shrugged and got a fourth wine from the bartender and came back to their table with the pretty woman the pirate had been talking to glaring at her the whole way for spoiling her fun.Robin wondered what on earth Sarah was thinking with Tom right here.But then she realized that Tom (and Matt as well) were two sheets to the wind.It was possible that Sarah could snog half the bar without either of them noticing.She sighed and turned her attention to coaxing the men and Sarah to head back to their timeshare for the night.


	2. Day Two

The next morning Robin was up early.Everyone else was sleeping in and since she knew they’d be pretty hung over once they got up, she thought she’d treat herself to a solitary breakfast at a little cafe near the water.Her guidebook said there were several places locals got early breakfasts and she thought one of them was pretty close to their flat.With a quick look at the map on her phone, she plotted a path and headed out after leaving a note for Matt telling him she was going to get breakfast and would be back in about 90 minutes. 

She found the cafe right away. Unfortunately it was packed with people.Some were obviously fishermen who were fueling up either before or after an ocean trip.Many appeared to be local shopkeepers, having breakfast before they opened up their stores.Some were in worn jeans and t-shirts, looking a little grubby. All were digging into big plates of sausage, bacon and eggs with generous helpings of fried potatoes and toast.Robin looked around for a free table.There were none, but just as she noticed the pirate from last night, he looked up and saw her.He was at a table by himself, his long legs sticking out and blocking access to the empty seat.He appeared to realize her dilemma as he immediately rose and courteously gestured for her to come and sit with him.Mentally shrugging Robin smiled faintly and went to his table. 

She sat down, pulling the chair a bit further from him as she did so.The pirate looked over at the waitress and shouted something to her in what Robin thought was Spanish.The waitress nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.The man turned back to Robin and said, “Good morning.I’m Eddie” in a London accent.“I just ordered you a full English, the cook’s version of it anyway.”He pointed to the remains on his plate, which he was about half way through.“Thanks,” said Robin, although it was a bit highhanded of him to order for her.But since she only had a bit over an hour before she had to be back at the flat, she might as well eat what he was eating.It did smell good. Remembering her manners, she added, “I’m Robin.”

“Visiting Gibraltar, are you?” he asked.“I saw you at Enzio’s last night.”Robin was impressed.She didn’t think he had paid her or her companions any mind.Then she remembered how forward Sarah had been and blushed. “Yes, my boyfriend and I and another couple are visiting.Do you live here?”

“For now. It’s a nice place to do nothing.Have you seen the siege tunnels, the Moorish castle, or the macaques?”

“No,” Robin admitted.“This is our first full day here.What do you suggest?”

“As long as the weather’s good and you are ok with a lot of walking, you should visit the nature preserve with the macaques. The views from Princess Caroline’s Battery or The Moorish Castle are fabulous if you are interested in history, and I like the Garrison Library.If you aren’t afraid of heights the skywalk is amazing. I’d leave the siege tunnels and St. Michael’s Cave for bad weather days.There’s a lot of walking, there, too.”

“My friends want to go to the beach.Which is a good one?”

“Catalan Bay is nice but can be a bit crowded.If you just want a place to picnic, you can go to Commonwealth Park to eat, then visit the Gibraltar National Museum.” Robin’s food came and it was delicious.The waitress brought Eddie more coffee and gave him a big smile which he returned.Robin ate in silence for a bit, then said shyly, “May I pay for your breakfast as thanks for the tour help and for getting me a seat?”

“Nope,”Eddie shook his head.“I’ve got a rich daddy who doesn’t want me around, so I might as well act like the wastrel he thinks I am.”He tossed some bills on the table.Robin thought she heard an underlying bitterness in Eddie’s flippant remark. 

“Don’t come here alone again,” Eddie told her abruptly.“This place draws a rough crowd.If you want a good breakfast, the Spain Cafe across from the Harbor Hotel has decent food and they keep the riffraff like me out.”Robin lifted her chin.“You are not riffraff.”

“Shows how little you know, Robin,” was his retort, but he sipped his coffee until she was finished eating, then walked her back to her rental making remarks about the weather and the waves or giving her a tidbit of history about various buildings they passed.

Matthew, Tom and Sarah were all plenty hung over but with some coaxing Robin got them up, showered, dressed and out looking for a nice lunch spot.She decided a picnic might be a good idea so she bought bread and cheeses and wine and beer and bottled water in several little shops, put her purchases in two large tote bags, and herded her fellow tourists to Commonwealth Park where they sat in the grass and ate and drank.It was a pretty day and the park was lovely, with tiny ponds and fountains and not that many people crowding around.They had a leisurely lunch, then went back to their flat for naps.Late afternoon found them all up and functioning so Robin suggested they head to the harbor for drinks and then dinner.At the thought of eating out everyone perked up.They choose a Spanish restaurant with a good view of the water for dinner, made reservations and then walked across the street to a little bar with tables on the patio under umbrellas where they could people-watch the swimmers in the bay and the sunbathers on the beach. 

It was pleasant there in the late afternoon sun.Even Sarah was less annoying today.Robin sat in the sunshine and sipped her white wine cooler, listening to Matthew and Tom debate the fine points of the local beers they wanted to try. Idly Robin watched the sunbathers.There were some good looking guys showing off bronzed skin, although none as handsome as Matthew, of course.She noticed a cluster of men sitting along the sea wall, talking and drinking beers.People seemed to come and go, stopping for a chat and an exchange of something, then walking on.Robin couldn’t tell what was being passed around.She started to suspect she was seeing a drug bazaar, though.Unfortunately, it was time for them to head to the restaurant so Robin didn’t have enough observations to confirm her suspicions. 

The restaurant food was good.Robin had never eaten at a tapas bar.She enjoyed trying various items.Matthew was less pleased with the selection as he was more a meat and potatoes guy.Robin made a mental note to find a steak place for tomorrow night’s dinner.After they ate, they decided to go back to the bar across the street.Robin had hoped they would want to go dancing, but she was over-ruled.So she settled down to do more people-watching as her companions concentrated on drinking as much as humanly possible.Looking out at the darkening beach, she noticed that the group of seawall sitters was diminished.She thought she recognized a large figure in the middle of the group as Eddie.She kept watching, and finally the large man got up and started to wander in their direction.

As he got closer, she confirmed it was Eddie, this time in navy shorts with a red t-shirt and a baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes.He had his arm around a busty brunette who was obviously inebriated, helping her walk in the shifting loose sand.They walked in a zigzag line toward Robin’s table, then veered off toward another bar.Robin lost sight of them in the crowd of people starting to wander from bar to bar as the night grew later.She ordered another white wine and tried to forget her curiosity about this man.


	3. Day Three

The next day Robin was up early again, but remembering Eddie’s warning, she went out for breakfast at the cafe he’d recommended, which was full of early bird tourists like her.She ate alone, using her phone to find a good steak place for dinner and to check out the Moorish Castle tour that was available.When she got back to the flat, everyone else was up and ready to go out.They walked through the nature preserve where a number of macaques watched them from the trees and bushes toward the Skywalk tour.From there they strolled around the Moorish Castle, then headed back to their flat to change for the beach.Wearing their swimsuits under their clothes, they arrived at Catalan Bay to find it already crowded with young people.Robin shed her outer clothing and took a swim, then sunbathed for a while, listening idly to Matt and Tom argue about football and talk about clients at work.Sarah slept in the sun, just turning over occasionally to ask Tom to slather her with more sunscreen. 

By mid afternoon they were all hungry from walking and swimming and the sun.Catalan Bay had several seafood shacks for the beachgoers.Robinpicked up fish and chips and beers for everyone else but decided on a salad and water for herself, a choice that turned out to be a good idea since by the time they were back at the flat to shower and change for dinner, the other three were all feeling queasy.Robin ventured out to a local drug store where she picked up over-the-counter diarrhea medicine and lots of sports drinks, saltine crackers and bottled water. Back at the flat, the others were throwing up periodically between bouts of diarrhea.Robin cleaned up after each, bathing their foreheads and coaxing them to drink fluids and take the medication she’d bought and a cracker if they felt able.By nine p.m. the worst was over and they were all asleep.Robin was frazzled.She took a quick shower, pulled her hair back into a pony tail, and decided to head out for something fast to eat.She knew that Gibraltar restaurants were open late as that was how it worked in Spain and the Spanish influence was strong here.She just hoped that she could find someplace close where a single woman wouldn’t stand out.

She walked down the main street, peeking into the various bars and restaurants that were open among the shops.All were jammed with party goers or couples eating large dinners.She was about to give up hope and head back to a meal of crackers and bottled water when she spotted a familiar large figure sitting at a table outside a cafe, a beer in his big hands. He looked remote and stern as he stared out into the ocean.She almost was afraid to approach him but needs must.Robin walked up to him and spoke his name tentatively.He turned upon hearing his name and looked her over.“You look like shit, Robin.Why are you out here by yourself this late?”

Robin explained that she was looking for a quick meal after an evening playing nurse to her companions.Eddie said offhandedly, “Should have warned you about the fish at Catalan Bay.The restaurants there are notorious for buying day old fish and serving it to the tourists.”

He looked her over again as Robin stood there, feeling about nine years old in her pony tail and trainers.“Come on then.Do you like tapas?”Robin said she did but she was up for anything except fish, having had her fill of cleaning regurgitated fish off the bathroom floor this evening.He took her to a hole in the wall restaurant that was packed with local people chattering away in a mix of Llanito, Maltese, Portuguese and English.The chef brought out small dishes of a mix of items: olives, various cheeses, tiny potato omelets, ham fritters, shrimp, squid rings, and what Eddie told her was fried octopus, all to be washed down with a Sangria punch with little bits of fruit floating in each glass.It was all delicious. 

Each new course was accompanied with a story about Eddie’s adventures fishing for shrimp, his trying to learn—without success—to make lemon calamari at home, what sort of cheese was being served, that the chef’s wife made dozens of the potato omelets each day, what wine makes the best Sangria in his opinion.Robin laughed and ate and started to tell stories of her own about rural farming life in Yorkshire where she grew up.Finally Robin stopped eating, but not drinking.The punch was delicious.Eddie finally told her three glasses were enough, it was stronger than she realized.Robin looked at him in rebellion, the realized he’d not steered her wrong the entire time she’d been in Gibraltar.“Thanks,” she said.“I would have had a much harder time here without your help.I’d like to repay you somehow.”

“No charge.How about a stroll along the water front with me to burn off some of the alcohol and then I’ll walk you back to your place?”

Robin nodded.“A walk would be nice.I do need to burn off some of those calories.”Together they strolled along the waterfront path, bordered by a stone wall to keep the tourists from tumbling off the cliff.Robin stumbled on the cobblestone walk, and Eddie took her hand.It was comforting to hold, warm and solid.Robin sighed.This trip was going to be over tomorrow.Coming to the end of the sidewalk, they turned and started back.“Eddie,” Robin said.“Could you do me a favor?”

“Sure,” he said. 

“Would you mind kissing me?”He stopped and looked at her.“Just how old are you, Robin?”

“I’m twenty-one,” she said indignantly. 

“Had to ask.You look about thirteen right now.”And he bent his head and kissed her thoroughly and well.Robin put her hand in his hair and kept his mouth on hers.He finally pulled back and looked into her face.“What’s this about?Aren’t you here with your boyfriend?”he asked.

“It’s research,” Robin said.“I’ve never been kissed by a pirate with a beard before.”He chuckled and bent his face to hers again to kiss her a second time, his hand on her cheek. The second kiss was even better than the first. “How does kissing a man in a beard stack up?”he finally asked.

“You are a great kisser.And I like your bracelet.”He laughed at that and took her hand again.“Come on.We’ll walk back to your place through the market and I’ll buy you one of your own.”And he did.


	4. Day Four

Robin woke up and stretched, happy.Her new turquoise bead bracelet was still wrapped around her wrist where Eddie had tied it for her.She looked over at the sleeping Matthew who had dark circles under his eyes and felt a bit of guilt.Then she rationalized to herself that her kissing another man as just a whim.Eddie hadn’t thought it was a big deal, she was sure.She crept out of bed and checked on the other two who were still asleep.She made a big pot of coffee for them, and got dressed.Today was their last day in Gibraltar.She wondered if the others would feel like touring the siege tunnels and St. Michael’s Cave.After a bit of thought she removed her new bracelet and put it in the pocket of her purse.Matthew would surely notice and it was a little hard to explain letting another man buy her a souvenir bracelet, not to mention that same man kissing her when she asked.

In a while the others were all up and hungry.They downed their coffees, got dressed and headed out to explore on their last day.Robin was able to direct them to the Spain Cafe for breakfast.She would have loved to have gone to the local cafe and hope to run into Eddie but that wasn’t in the cards.The others agreed to do some sightseeing as long as they were able to head to the beach afterwards, so they walked around the siege tunnels looking at the WWII displays and toured St. Michael’s Cave.Then it was back to their flat to pack, toss on bathing suits, and head to Catalan Bay again. They didn’t eat there, of course, but after two hours in the sun, went back to the flat, changed into travel clothes, and finished the packing.They left their suitcases at the door, ready for the car to take them and their luggage to the airport at 5 p.m.They just had time to walk through the market where they bought sandwiches to eat as they walked.Robin pretended to notice the little jewelry shop where Eddie bought her bracelet and went into it where she found a cheap bracelet for Sarah and put her own in the bag with it while the others located a table to finish eating their sandwiches.Then she was able to give Sarah a red Jasper version of her turquoise one and the men tied them on their wrist for them.Robin ate and wished she’d seen Eddie once more.

Soon it was time.The car picked them up as arranged and they were soon at the airport, going through passport control.Once that ordeal was over, they had to sit in the lounge waiting to board.A group of soldiers were standing around the next lounge over.Robin looked at them, wondering where they were going.A broad, tall man was walking toward them and with a shock, she thought she recognized Eddie.But this man was clean-shaven, his hair was close cut, his uniform and boots in immaculate condition.There was no woven bracelet around a tanned wrist.The men saluted him and were saluted in return, so this was an officer.As she watched, the man who resembled Eddie headed towards the restrooms.Robin couldn’t resist.She stood up and headed that way herself.She waited outside the doors, trying to look as if she was waiting for a travel companion.In only a minute the officer who resembled Eddie exited and saw her.There was no doubt, it was Eddie, but an Eddie transformed.He gave her a smile, hesitated and pulled something out of his pocket.It was his woven bracelet, the twin to hers.He looked at her, mouthed “Under cover,” and turned away, putting his bracelet back in his pocket as Sarah came rushing over to Robin.“Come on, they are boarding now!”

Sarah hurried Robin to the boarding line.The last thing she saw when she turned to take one last look was Eddie leaning against the wall, watching her, a pirate smile on his face.She nodded and touched her bracelet on her wrist and mentally wished him well.Then she headed into the plane with Matthew, back to real life.


End file.
